After 35 years in the AG industry I retired in 2001. Selling fertilizer and buying peanuts from the growers over the years was a very interesting and lively career but I don't miss it as much as I thought that I would. The company I been managing for fifteen years sold to new owners and my wife was diagnosed with cancer about the same time. Both these eventsperpetuated my decision to temporarily retire. Months later after she was in prounounced in remission the economy was failing and few good jobs were available for those over 50 years old in southern Georgia.

I started NewEyes consulting in 2003 offering production of employee manuals, refinance packages, business streamlining, and troubleshooting services to businesses in the area. I sort of backed in to this by accident when a local businessman called and asked me if I would help him chart a course for his company's survival for the tough times that he could see ahead.He wanted me to look at his operation through "new eyes" and help him see things that he was too close to, to be able to see. This was a very rewarding experience for me. I really enjoy assisting businesses in planning their survival and success. Being able to choose when I work was a new experience that I dearly loved. During this time I got re-invigorated in my Ham Radio hobby and have built a new shack to operate from and even enjoy the digital modes as well as chasing DX. Re-newing old friendships and getting back on the air has been almost as rewarding as when I first entered the hobby back in 1977.

The last several years I have fought health problems. I have gone through heart bypass surgery after Doctors found that I had 8 blockages near my heartand recently was diagnosed with other problems. We are waiting to see what furthur test reveal to see what direction life will take us next. Along with ham radio I enjoy woodworking, and do a little hunting and fishing. My wife retired from teaching high school math after 33 years in the classroom when she was diagnosed with Lieukemia. She is in remission now and has recently gone back to the classroom half-time. I guess she enjoys teaching the kids that want to learn and prepare for their future. Parents these days just don't seem to understand that kids need a little whack on the rear-end once in a while. I believe that the parents overall, are a bigger problem than the kids are now-a-days and many don't care that their kids get an education. The girls are having babies during their high school years and there seems to be no shame. I just don't know how long she will be able to hold out. These long stressful days are really ringing her out.

My youngest son and three youngest grandkids live nearby and I really enjoy riding with them over our 80 acres in our "rough country" modified golf cart. The youngest grandson at age 7, asked for a baby cow for Christmas one year so grandpa and he are now in the cattle business with two cows and two young calves. He takes good care of his cows while his dad and I work on the fences. I don't see how I ever had time for a job! My oldest son and two older grandkids live near Chattanooga, TN and we don't get to see them nearly as much as we would like to; but we deal with it as best we can. Both of my sons and my oldest grandson have all become HAMS so we have now become a ham family. Some of us are more active than others but I can now boast of three generations of HAM operators in the family. My daughter and her husband don't have any children yet but my son in law has shown some interest in Ham radio so I am still looking to expand my HAM family eventually. HI HI

My favorite operating position in the shack. The layout changes from time to time.

This photo is one of three operating positions I how have which are constantly being updated. I have two stations set up in the shack and an auxillary station in the home office. The ham stations here consist of an Icom 746, a 746 Pro, an IC 756 Pro III, and a Drake TR-4cw. A Yaesu 857n ICOM 7000  is my mobile rig and I also have several Icom and Kenwood mobile rigs for operating 144 and 432 Mhz. The Antenna farm here consist of a 55 ft HyGain Crank-Up supporting a Cushcraft A4S tribander with the 40 meter add-on kit and a 6 meter Yagi. There is a dual band 144/432 vertical at 65 ft.out the top. A multi-band "fan" dipole and two 260 ft. homebrewed OCF Dipoles also clutter the trees. One is at 40 ft. and the other two at around 55 ft. A 105 ft. Rohn 25 holds my main VHF/UHF and 6 meter antennas which consist of a homebrew 6 ele six meter yagi, a homebrew 16 element 432 mhz yagi, and a salvaged M2 144 mhz yagi that was salvaged and rebuilt after have ridden a 70 foot tower down in a wind storm. There are some HF receiving antennas and a sky loop in the plans as well. I can't decide where the loop will go since I want to be as stealthy as possible with it's placement and I haven't really felt like tackling those ambitious plans yet.

The 55 ft crank-up with the A4-S and dipoles

Most of the local guys around this part of Georgia monitor 146.520 simplex or 147.285 although we have an several good repeaters covering the area. The Coastal Plains Amateur Radio Club (CPARC) draws hams from several counties in this part of rural Georgia and meets every second Saturday at 1 O'Clock just after some of us have lunch together at one of the local eateries. I co-sponsor the Sycamore repeater, 444.925 / 141.3, the only active UHF repeater in the club, and the Ashburn, GA repeater on 145.35 / 141.3, with the invaluable help of long-time friend N4OME. The CPARC sponsers the Ashburn/Tifton two meter repeater on 147.285+ / 141.3 and we help with that machine also from time to time. The club also has a D-Star repeater located in Tifton. I don't do D-Star at present but you will find it in the directory. Only two or three club members are active on this mode at present. Located fairly close to I-75 they each cover a 35 to 40 mile stretch of the interstate from around Cordele, GA to below Tifton, GA. They are open to anyone but most of our guys work so they are times when no-one is around for a ragchew. The club webpage can be found at W4PVW.US.

Meanwhile I operate two Low Power FM stereo radio stations, One owned by Bethel Church in Sycamore and the other by a the Turner County Council for Community Education in Ashburn. WBLY-LP 101.5 and WJTR-LP 102.7 are low power FM stereo stations broadcasting Southern Gospel music, area news, community announcements,and local programing to both of these small communities. Ken KC0OIU and myself do all the programming and maintainance for the stations and that keeps us both out of trouble.

'73' for now. See you on the bands. Keith, KF4BI

Me at the main studio console at WBLY-LP FM.